


Deep Blue Romance

by Lookatallmyships



Category: Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Genre: Canon? What Canon?, Either pre-canon or the events of the movie never happen, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Handyman!reader, Pining, Protect Tom Scoggins, Reader Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lookatallmyships/pseuds/Lookatallmyships
Summary: Reader is a sort of combination handyman/janitor aboard the facility. They've been crushing on Scoggs since practically forever, but surely he can't feel the same way?
Relationships: Tom "Scoggs" Scoggins/Reader
Kudos: 3





	Deep Blue Romance

**Author's Note:**

> Someone tell me that this isn't cringy.
> 
> Here's an album of Scoggs photos just because: https://imgur.com/a/cR1fPS0

“How’s the sandwich?”

“Amazing as always.” You smile. “We’re all very lucky to have you as our cook.”

Preacher laughs. “You’re just trying to butter me up, so I’ll make you those cookies you like.”

Notorious for kicking people out of his kitchen, you’re one of the only people that the chef allows to hang out with him in there- aside from his bird of course. When you first started working at the facility a few months ago as a sort of combined janitor/maintenance worker, the two of you had hit it off and you quickly became good friends.

You laugh. “Now that you mention it, you do owe me a favor for not telling the Doc that you were the one to-“

The chef cuts you off. “Whoah! No need to be so loud” he says, looking around the kitchen for anyone who might have overheard.

You shake your head. “Relax, everyone is busy getting ready for shift change.”

Putting away the clean frying pan he’d just finished drying, Preacher shoots you a mischievous look. “You must be excited.”

You blink, a confused look on your face.

“Like you said, it’s almost shift change. That means Scoggs will be back.”

Fighting down the blush that threatens to steal across your face, you feign ignorance. “Yes, he does work here.”

He raises an eyebrow. “I don’t see you making a special effort to be one of the first people to greet anyone else as they get off the boat.”

You sigh. “I’m not sure what to say.”

Preachers face softens and he walks over to sit across from you at the counter. “You don’t have to say anything, it’s obvious you like him. Why don’t you tell Scoggs how you feel?”

You want to laugh. You wish it were that easy- and who knows, maybe it should be!- but every time you think about confessing your feelings to the engineer, you get lost in a whirlwind of anxiety and ‘what ifs?’.

Preacher and Scoggs are your two closest friends among the crew. The thought of damaging one of those friendships because of your own dumb feelings, terrifies you.

Everyone at the base is friendly to you, but you wouldn’t describe yourself as being especially close to any of the others. Sure you might share a drink with Brenda or a game of cards with Jim, Janice, Carter, and whoever else happens to be available from time to time, but you wouldn’t go to them with a truly personal problem.

Bird suddenly lands on your shoulder with a squawk, saving you from having to answer.

“Hello, where have you been hiding?” You reach up to pet along the feather on the parrot’s neck and he happily ducks his head so you can reach.

Preacher sighs. “I swear that bird likes you more than me, the disloyal sack of feathers.” He points a finger at the bird. “You hear that? Don’t forget who feeds you!”

Bird lets loose a few choice words in response, and you can’t help but laugh.

Picking up a piece of crust that you’d torn off your sandwich, you hand it to the bird who takes it happily.

Bobbing his head at the chef, Bird holds the bread with one of his feet so he can tear it apart bit by bit.

If you didn’t know better, you’d almost say that the parrot looked smug.

~

You’re lying on the ground in one of the main corridors when Susan appears, her usual duffel bag slung over her shoulder. “Is that light fixture still giving you trouble?”

Ducking your head out from the open wall panel, you look up at the doctor with a sigh. “It’s just this _one_ light, I don’t know what’s wrong with it. I thought maybe the wiring was loose or something, but I don’t see anything off.”

“Did you try changing the lightbulb?”

“Yes!” You’re indignant for all of two seconds before you notice the teasing look on her face.

You roll your eyes and she laughs. “The boat should be here any time now. Want me to bring you anything from the shore when I come back?”

Touched that she thought to ask, you smile. “No thank you, but I appreciate the offer.”

She nods and bids you farewell. You consider following Susan up top to greet everyone when they arrive, but then you remember your conversation with Preacher this morning and you think better of it. You’ve got a lot on your mind, and you really do need to get this light fixed.

~

Having given up on the faulty light fixture for the time being, you’re mopping the rec room floor when you hear the sound of approaching footsteps.

“Careful, the floor is wet!” You call out in warning.

A couple moments later a head pops around the doorway. “Y/n, hey! I missed you earlier, you weren’t topside when we arrived."

The fact that he noticed floods you with warmth and you mentally reprimand yourself. He missed his _friend_. He’s simply used to you hanging around when the boat arrives, of course he would wonder at the change.

You smile and offer him an apologetic shrug. “Sorry, I was fighting with one of the lights in corridor b. I just can’t get it to work.” You shrug. “I’m not very familiar with electrical stuff.”

Tom smiles. “That’s alright, we’ve all got our specialties. My grandmother used to tell me that we all have our superpowers, and that there’s nothing wrong with one person being better at something than someone else.”

“She sounds like a great lady. I can tell that you must take after her a lot.”

Tom’s face reddens in response to your praise, and you can’t help but think it’s the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen.

“Aw, I don’t know about that” the engineer rubs the back of his neck self-consciously. “Hey, tell you what. I’ll go unpack my bags while you finish up here, and then I’ll take a look at that light of yours. See if I can’t figure out what’s going wrong.”

You look down at the floor, only now noticing the backpack sitting by his feet. Did he really come looking for you even before dropping his stuff off in his room?

You give a helpless nod in agreement and Tom grins at you before scooping up his stuff and disappearing.

God, you are _so_ screwed.

~

You’re just coming back from putting the mop and bucket back in the storage closet when you run into Tom.

“Hey y/n, all set?”

You smile. “Almost, I just need to grab my tools.”

“Cool, I’ll walk with you.”

The two of you walk side by side towards your quarters where you’d stashed your tools. You could just leave them in the storage area with the other tools and general maintenance supplies, but you don’t trust that they won’t disappear. Not that you thought any of the crew would steal from you, but things have a habit of being borrowed and then going missing before turning up somewhere weird.

You grab your toolbox from just inside your door and then lead Tom towards the correct light in corridor b.

You point up at the light fixture. “That’s the light, there.”

It’s mounted high up on the wall near the ceiling, but the wires travel from the base into a hole in the wall, from there snaking down within reach of the removable panel down at your feet. You’d sure like to have a conversation with whoever installed it in such a pain in the ass way.

It’s just one light out of several in this corridor, but it could be crucial in the event of a power outage.

Tom looks around for a moment before spying the stepladder that you’d been using earlier and had left tucked in the corner so it wouldn’t be in the way. “Here” he grabs the stepladder and drags it over so it’s positioned underneath the light. “Why don’t you step up here, and I’ll take a look down here.”

Nodding in agreement, you set your toolbox down before climbing up the four steps that make up the ladder. Waiting for further instruction, you watch as Tom makes quick work of unscrewing the access panel before laying down on the floor so he can stick his head through the vent.

Groping around for a minute, he grabs the flashlight and clicks it on before shining it inside the wall.

“Hmm. How do the wires feel where they’re connected to the fixture? Are they loose at all?”

You reach up and gently push at them. “No, I don’t think so.”

He hums in acknowledgement as he scooches forward a bit. A couple minutes go by before Tom breaks the silence. “Huh.”

You startle slightly, having been taking the opportunity to watch the engineer without getting caught staring. “What it is?”

“It looks like something chewed through one of the wires.”

You frown. “Like a mouse?”

“Yup, or a rat maybe. I’m not surprised you didn’t notice right away, the wiring in here is a mess.”

Tom carefully extricates himself from the wall and you sigh. “Trust a research facility located in the middle of the ocean to somehow get infested with rodents.”

The engineer laughs and you’re hit with the sudden desire to do whatever it takes to hear that sound more often.

“They probably stowed away on the ship” he muses. “Well, there’s not much we can do until I can gather the stuff that we need to fix it. We might be better off calling a licensed electrician- an exterminator too.”

You nod in agreement. “I’d rather not have any of us get hurt trying to do it ourselves. Knowing me, I’d somehow manage to knock the power out entirely.” Moving to climb down the ladder as you speak, your foot catches and next thing you know you’re falling backwards.

Before you can even brace yourself, Tom is suddenly there to catch you. With one arm under your knees and the other supporting your shoulders, you surprised at how strong he is. It makes sense, you suppose. He’s usually the one to haul around all of the electronic equipment on the base.

Gently the engineer sets you back on your feet, keeping an around your waist to help steady you. “Are you ok?”

Realizing you’ve been staring, you blush. “Yeah, I’m alright. Thank you for catching me, Tom.”

Tom smiles at you, an expression that’s almost blinding in its sincerity.

“You’re one of the only ones who calls me that, you know. Most people just call me Scoggins or Scoggs.”

You duck your head shyly. “I’m sorry, do you not like it?”

He shakes his head. “Nah, it’s great. I love hearing you say my name.”

Suddenly struck by how close the two of you are standing, you stare into Tom’s eyes. Had you noticed just how blue they are before?

The arm around your shoulders slowly moves until Tom is gently cupping the side of your face. He leans in a little closer and looks at you questioningly as he waits for you to make the next move.

Even now when you’re breathing heavily and you can only imagine your pupils must be blown, he’s still sweet enough to make absolute certain that this is what you want.

Taking half a step forward is all it takes the close the distance between you, and your lips meet in a gentle kiss.

Tom’s free arms wraps around your waist, drawing you impossibly closer until you’re pressed together. Rather than feeling heated or like he’s trying to start anything more than the sweet caressing of lips that you were currently experiencing, the embrace instead feels warm and comforting.

You gently nip at his bottom lip before pulling away, and you grin at the soft noise of loss that he makes. “I’d gladly keep doing this all day, but I’d really rather not get caught making out in the hallway- god forbid Preacher caught us. As it is, I’ll probably have to deal with his being smug until the end of time.”

“Why should Preacher be smug?” He grins suddenly. “Have you been talking about me?”

Face burning, you half-heartedly hit his chest. “Maybe” you can’t help but sound a bit petulant in your embarrassment. “I’ve only been pining after you since we first met” you mutter quietly.

“What- really?”

When you refuse to look at him, Tom gently tips your head up so he can look you in the eye.

Once your eyes meet, you can’t help but gasp at the smoldering look being directed at you.

Tom ducks down so he can claim your lips again. This time the kiss is more heated, though no less careful. Once again you get lost in each others embrace. If you had the presence of mind to focus on anything other than the man standing before you, you’d be grateful that everyone is busy putting their things away in their quarters and getting ready for the coming work week.

Breaking the kiss only when the need to breathe becomes too great, Tom rests his forehead against yours. “Fuck, baby. You have no idea what you do to me.”

The engineer’s words fill you with heat, and you reach up to stroke the side of his face. “Come on, we can’t stay here” you urge once again. If this is going where you very much hope it is, then a change of location is a definite must. You kiss him again quickly before taking a step back.

Taking him by the hand, you start leading Tom down the corridor.

He gives you a confused look. “Where are we going?”

You can’t help but chuckle at the dazed look on his face. “My room, it’s closer.”

He nods before tugging on your hand and looking back behind you. “Don’t you want to grab your stuff? I know you don’t like leaving it out.”

You shake your head. “Someone will pick it up for me and stick it somewhere safe. Right now I just want you.”

The growl you get in response is enough to make your decision worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Believe me, if I could write smut then I would have included it at the end there.
> 
> I don't know why you don't change shifts with everyone else- maybe you signed on for longer shifts? Just suspend your disbelief, lol.


End file.
